Mobile Access to Health Documents Guide Published for Comment

Earlier this month, the Technical Committee of Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise released a guide to implementing access to health records via mobile devices. IHE is a group of healthcare professionals with more than 500 member organizations worldwide focused on technological issues in healthcare practice. The goal of the guide, titled Mobile Access to Health Documents, is to provide developers with an application programming interface designed to ensure secure access to health records on mobile platforms. IHE is currently soliciting public comment on the guide.

Mobile Access to Health Documents may be a valuable tool for healthcare professionals in ensuring compliance with federal law. The Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires healthcare providers to meet a number of criteria to evaluate and implement safeguards on access to electronic protected health information. Since the risk of security breaches for mobile technology which is used to access health documents is rapidly increasing, it is important for healthcare professionals to keep these developments in mind. Healthcare professionals should also review their technical safeguards to ensure compliance with HIPAA.